1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to windows and, more specifically, to window insulation comprising a frame having a track fixedly attached thereto and flexible impermeable sheeting, such as plastic or other material, having a rail member peripherally positioned and releasably mounted to said track member therein forming a window thermally insulative device.
The window insulation can be mounted to the wall over the window opening or mounted to the window jamb.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other covering devices designed for windows. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,132 issued to Dorsey on Nov. 26, 1912.
Another patent was issued to Kaplan on Oct. 15, 1935 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,539. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,728 was issued to Burdette on Aug. 1, 1978 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 12, 1978 to D'Aragon as U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,642.
Another patent was issued to Loeb on Feb. 10, 1981 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,589. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,982 was issued to Eckels on Dec. 13, 1983. Another was issued to Roberts on Nov. 27, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,896 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 19, 1991 to Golden as U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,471.
Another patent was issued to Westby on Jul. 19, 2005 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,426 and still yet another was issued on Nov. 22, 1967 to Jaster as U.K. Patent No. GB1,092,452.
In a device of the class described, a tent wall formed of a number of vertically arranged strips of material connected by seams, a number of strips being formed with an opening, a reinforcing strip surrounding said opening, fastening members on the interior of such reinforcing strip, screens of flexible material, each provided with a flexible reinforcing frame and with coacting fastening members at its top, sides and bottom, for detachably securing the screens to the inner surface of the strips of material, whereby the operator may, by detaching the upper fastening member, obtain access to the outside flap and the fastening members above the opening on the outside, and whereby the screen, when in position, will support the wall against movement tending to stretch the sides or the top and bottom of the openings apart, the fastening members for securing the flap on the outside in its closed position, being designed to reinforce and support the wall against upward and downward stretching.
In an attachment longitudinally extendible means for supporting a ventilating or similar device arranged on the inside of a window and secured to the window frame and means for removably fastening said device to said supporting means, said supporting means being longitudinally extendible to fit different sixes of windows.
A system for mounting thin transparent membrane material over the interior of a window to provide an insulating effect. An elongate narrow retainer molding is positioned along the peripheral frame portion of the window. This molding includes a narrow base portion having a flat surface intended for adhesive and permanent attachment to the frame. Integrally formed with the base portion are two side components which extend upwardly to a top surface which is shaped concavely to define a receiving region. Detents are formed in these side portions which extend over a centrally disposed groove. A beading of circular cross-section is urged with the peripheral portion of the membrane into the centrally disposed groove to provide a non-adhesive form of fixation of the membrane to the retainer molding. By selection of relative dimensions of the molding, the centrally disposed groove remains continuous about the entire window mounting even though the orientation of retainer molding components across corners may be transverse.
A temporary transparent insulating installation is disclosed for mounting on the inside of a window frame. This installation provides for increased insulation of buildings without necessitating an increased number of glazings in a window. The installation comprises a clear plastic sheet with a length greater than the height of the window frame, having a first connecting strip along a top edge. The sheet has side edges with sealing means adapted to seal with two side surfaces of the window frame. The second connecting strip is permanently attached to the top surface of the window frame and is adapted to mate with the first connecting strip along the top edge of the plastic sheet. At least one weight is provided to hold down the plastic sheet on the bottom surface of the window frame. In another installation two or more clear plastic sheets can be hung in a window frame.
Apparatus for mounting an environment controlling screen, sheet or membrane, is provided comprising separate frame sections secured in mutually abutting relation to the inner periphery of an opening, mutually abutting strip of Velcro hook material are affixed to each frame section, and a flexible sheet, dimensioned to fit the frame section, is affixed to the frame section by means of a strip of Velcro pile material attached to the margins of the sheet. A mosquito-proof joint is provided by the abutting Velcro material even though the frame sections are not joined directly one to the other. Quick installation and removal of the sheet material is feasible. Storage of the sheets is convenient, simple, and takes up little space.
An edge seal for a solar collector type flexible film material is provided for forming a generally air-tight heat insulating reusable seal around the edge of an opening in the surface of a building structure. The edge seal is formed around the film material which is sized to cover the window opening and overlap the edges of the opening. A band of magnetically permeable particles is adhered along the edge of the substrate forming the film material by a suitable adhesive. A strip of magnetic material is adhered around the edge of the opening. The permeable particles are attracted to the magnetic strip to form an effective air-tight seal between the flexible film material and the opening to essentially form a dead air space between the flexible material and the window opening. The flexible film material can be mounted similar to a window shade adjacent to the upper edge of the opening. The film material can also have a monolayer of transparent spheres adhered to one side which provide a means for concentrating solar energy striking the outer surface of the sheet material. The solar energy will be converted to heat energy and conducted through the sheet material to the interior surface so that the heat will be transferred to the interior of the building.
A covering apparatus is set forth to overlie an existing covered opening such as found in window and door environments. The apparatus includes a continuous elongate strip secured to a window or door frame opening with a companion strip receivable therein integrally secured and formed as a perimeter of a flexible transparent covering membrane for the window or door opening.
A self-attaching screen for vehicle openings comprising a flexible screen material having mounting means along its periphery, whereby the mounting means are resilient projections which temporarily entangle with the fabric surrounding the vehicle opening to form a detachable seal. The screen may be detached and reattached repeatedly without damage to said fabric and no secondary mounting means are required to be permanently attached to the vehicle.
The window insulating system comprises a mesh scrim sized to fit substantially completely within a window frame and substantially over all of an inside surface of a window pane and positioning and holding means for positioning and holding said mesh scrim closely adjacent the inside surface of the window pane without adhesively fixing said mesh scrim to the window pane or to the window frame with the distance between the mesh scrim and the inside surface of the window pane being between approximately 0.005 inch and approximately 0.050 inch.
A strip fastener comprises two separable strips 1, 2 of plastics material of which one is formed with at least one longitudinally extending recess and of which the other is formed with at least one longitudinally extending rib 5 comprising a head portion and neck portion, the head being adapted to enter the recess of the other strip or one of the recesses, to interlock with it when the strips are forced together face to face and in which the or each rib or at least one of the ribs has in the outer surface of its head a longitudinally extending groove 6 dividing the head into two lobes and in which the inner surface of the recess which is opposite to the groove 6 when the rib is seated in the recess lies completely outside the groove to permit the two lobes to move freely towards each other as the head is inserted in or removed from its associated recess. In other arrangements FIGS. 2 and 3 (not shown) the head portion is rounded, FIG. 2, and in FIG. 3 slotted head portions (31)-(33) on both strips interengage, the head portions (31) and (33) also engaging dissimilar recess wall portions (37) and (38) respectively. In a similar arrangement FIG. 4 (not shown), the head portions and complementary portions are rounded.
While these window devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.